The Good Merchant
by TheDauntlessMellark
Summary: "Why?" Is all I manage to say, a silence breaks awhile, before his eyes look to mine, and when he says these words, I know he means them all. "Because I care"- Based on The Good Samaritan. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue **

I_ hold my dad's hand tightly as we past through the town, the blonde people stare at us, making me feel scared and uncomfortable, he grips my hand protectively,staying clear of the merchants as we call them. The town is suddenly eeirly silence as we pass, one woman in particular who stands by the bakery, gives us a menacing glare that sends small chills up my spine._

_''Dad, why are they staring at us like that? It always happens every time we go to the hob as we past the Merchants section? It's weird!'' I ask him as we past by the bakery, he shakes his head, indicating this is not the time to speak about it. The rest of the journey is fairly silent before we reach the Hob, pushing the two creaky wooden doors open._

_We are met with the usual atmosphere with Seam folk selling, chatting, trading and the usual, the smell of Grandma Sae's soup fills the air, my stomach grumbles as we near her stall, I see some merchants chatting with the seam people, seeming friendly. I guess there are some we can accept._

_''Katniss,when you are older, you will understand that the Merchants and Seam people don't mix, it 'aint against the rules but we always manage to keep our ways seperate, people like us don't belong with them''he tells me sternly, looking at me in the eye._

_''Then why is some blonde people here? Why is the baker here?'' I ask him,''Mom is blonde and a merchant''_

_''That's different''he tells me,''Now go along and look at the jewellery stall, find something for Prim. I got to go and trade my game'' he hands me a few coins before pushing me off to the direction of the Jewellery stall. I give him a scowl before storming off to the stall. There I meet Delly Cartwright, the jewellers daughter._

_''Why can Seam and Merchant people not be together?'' I ask her, she looks at me as if I grown two heads, her mouth opened up in shock, ''What?''I say, raising my eyebrows._

_''Merchants, are rich snotty people who don''t care, who will just use you for bad things! Us Seam folk are better of with them, we are humble and honest...Unlike those 'scrubbers'''she huffs, she smiles at me as if she won a million coins._

_From that day I was scared to go near Merchants, I grew a hatred for them, but I didn't know how much it could affect me later on in life._


	2. Saving

_**This is a multi-story, review if you would like me to carry on :) **  
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_**love Sandy :) **_

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I drag myself through the pouring rain, gripping my sisters baby clothes. I shiver from the cold and I feel so numb, I want to give up here right now and then, but my sisters frail body and her sunken eyes is the only thing that keeps me going. I am desperate to sell those clothes because all I want to do is put bread on the table for my family, that's all I ask, but everyone turns away. The Merchant girls from my school laugh at my skinny body and my hair when I walk into school everyday, they don't realise how hard it is for people who live in the Seam. 16 year old girls should never starve.

I Suddenly find myself slouched down on the muddy ground, my back leaning against the apple tree. I open my eyes wider and see I am at the back of the local bakery, and the smell of fresh bread and pastries travels through the air, making me sadder and my heart ache a little. I suddenly spot the bins, with a little sliver of hope in my heart, I stand up slowly, leaning on the tree. I tuck the baby clothes in my father's oversize jacket and stagger over to the bins. The rain pours harder, making my vision weary and its hard for me to see food. The sound of a door bursting open startles me, causing me to fall to the ground in shock.

''What do you think you're doing you filthy child! Stealing from other people's property!" The bakers wife screams, frantically waving her rolling pin in the air, she steps outside and leans over me, the rain wetting her precious blonde locks. ''Your not answering! Well maybe this might knock some sense onto you seam brat!'' with that she brings down the rolling pin, striking my arm with such force. I cry out in pain, my bones almost to the braking. She strikes me on my other arm, I start to cry, begging for help and mercy. She laughs evilly before striking my legs, a sharp pain shooting through my legs. She drops the pin and grabs my hair, and starts banging my head on the metal bins, kicking me in the stomach. She drops me on the ground, ''Never steal again, you all are the same, filthy , criminal seam people, I wonder if you are people at all,'' she hisses at me, the rain stops suddenly when she stands up straight, straightening out her cotton dress, a little blood smearing on her dress. For good measure , she spits at me one last time before spinning on her heel and goes back to the bakery, slamming the door behind her.

I moan in pain, my legs feel numb and my arms feel weak. I feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth, I try and move my head to the side but it only sends a strong pain through my bones. My lungs struggle to gasp for air. I try my best to keep my eyes open, for any sign of help. I moan out loud intentionally, hoping someone could help me out.

I hear the chatter of girls and see they are from the seam too, I try and muster all my strength to talk but all That I could get out was a moan, they all come nearer, but when I am in their line of sight they suddenly all freeze right on the spot, they all gasp in shock. I see one of them hesitantly walk over to me, but one of them grabs her arm and tells her to stay away, I focus all my eyesight on the girl who tried to help, and I see it is Lyme Bristol, my next door neighbour. Hushed whispers and mummers go around them.

''Lyme!''I shout, despite the pain, I am not determined to give up yet, ''Lyme!'' I shout again, her friends start to pull her away, and I want to scream at them of how selfish they are and ignorant. She shoots me an apologetic look and mouths a 'sorry' with sad eyes before turning away with her friends, heading to a completely different direction to where I lie.

I feel small tears prick my eyes. She was supposed to be a friend, someone who cared. I mentally shake my head in shame, before slowly starting to close my eyes, wanting to shrink away from this world and forgetting everything, but the mental image of Prim manages to keep me awake, her sad blue eyes reflecting upon my stormy grey ones. The tears manage to squeeze through my closed eyes. Small sobbing sounds coming out of my mouth.

I hear someone else coming, as much as I want to shrink away I call for them once more, I shoot my eyes open and see Thom Thatchwood, my other next door neighbour standing above me, laughing In amusement. I feel anger boiling up inside me as he continues to laugh. If my legs were so not weak I would kick him, but I am to tired and worn out from the beatings. I start crying again in anger and shame of what I look like. ''Please!''I croak, sobbing madly.

''Sorry Everdeen, you really outdid yourself this time, and you got caught for stealing? God I should give credit to ya' but if the bakers wife sees me help you and another 'seam brat' in her back yard, she will have my noggin in, so bye!''he says cheerily. He walks off, leaving me half dead on the ground, just like Lyme and every one else.

Blackness starts to cave in as I slowly close my eyes, sound is blocked out and the only thing I am met with is silence before I collapse into a deep

dark pit, ready for death to come and visit me.

I shift around, not wanting to move from the soft sheets, the smell of cinnamon sending a warm feeling in my chest. Suddenly, I slowly snap back

into reality, I shoot my eyes open. I find myself in someone's bed, in an unfamiliar room, clearly not my home. I gingerly touch my head, where I was bleeding, and feel it has been bandaged. My eyes flit over to my legs and see that they are bandaged too. I check my arms and only see my left hand has been covered up.

''Prim? Mom?'' I call, hoping they are hear somewhere. I hear someone's heavy footsteps near by, I freeze in fear as the door slowly opens, revealing the bakers son, standing there , with a tray full of bread and soup, he smiles sheepishly and I suddenly wonder how he get past his mother and how did I get here, not meaning to sound ungrateful, so I start with something simple.

''What am I doing here?''I ask him, his azure eyes twinkling at me,''Why did you save me? Merchant..Seam, does not make sense?''I say, not understanding why he was here. He slowly goes up to me and places the tray beside me and hesitantly takes the seat beside the bed. My eyes flit to the soup and I suddenly start thinking about my mother and Eve.

''Don't worry, they are safe and I already told them that I will be looking after you and I will be providing the food''he says before I can speak, I feel shocked, can I really be read easily.

''Thank you'' I whisper, I turn to him, giving a small smile, and I have never smiled in a long time to anyone but Eve. He smiles at me and takes my hand in his.

''Now let me feed you''he says, I want to protest but he already has the soup held out for me, I let him spoon feed me and feed me some bread. We talk for awhile and I say thank you so much times I lost count, he keeps on refusing the thank you and carries on to feed me, helping me, making me feel better. After awhile I want to stand up and walk about. He starts to help me out and lifts me out, slowly trying to stand me up.

I suddenly blurt out a question that had lingered on the back of my mind, ''Why did you do it?''

''Because I care.''

I suddenly feel a little shocked, how could someone so kind come from people like them, he laughs and I suddenly feel confused, ''I am not like them, don't worry'' he says, giving me a toothy grin, I widen my eyes, did I just say that out loud. His eyes stare into mine as I process what is going on right now and how did he get past his mother.

''I see you met my mother then'' he chuckles, trying to make the situation light, I give him a small scowl indicating that I do not find that amusing, ''Sorry, couldn't help it''he smiles again, and I end up smiling too.

''S'okay'' I say, for awhile we sit in comfortable silence, ''How can I pay you back? I hate owing people''I mumble the last bit too myself, hoping he wouldn't hear it. He just shakes his head and holds my hand.

''We are no different Katniss, and you will never have to pay me back, I want to do it out of kindness'' he tells me.

''I am not charity!''I suddenly burst, he removes his hand from mine instantly and suddenly he is interested on the floor, I feel a pang of guilt surge through me as I just burst at the man who saved my life. The air suddenly feels heavy between us and an uncomfortable silence grows around us. I feel tears sting in my eyes and I suddenly have an inexplicable urge to cry.

''I'm sorry!''I sob, feeling my tears stream down my face, I feel pathetic, ''I just never have felt this amount of kindness and I feel like I..I have been lied to as a child!''I cry, I feel his strong arms wrap around mine, he hushes me and whispers softly in my ear, kind nice things.

And for the next three weeks he looks after me, caring and nursing me back to health.


	3. Stop

The Good Merchant Chapter 2:

Whilst Peeta looked after me, we also grew a strange, but warm relationship. My fear and reluctance for merchants still lingered on my mind but I seem to push these thoughts and feelings down. Two weeks after Peeta saved me, I demanded that I should start walking. He obviously refused, saying that my condition is not perfect for walking.

"What am I? A cripple?" I shout at him, my patience wearing thin. He looks like he doesn't know what to do with me.

"No! It's just I'm worried and...I don't want you to hurt yourself further" he says softly, trying to calm me down. His eyes show worry and a little hurt. My heart instantly softness at this, and I feel my expression soften too. I suddenly feel like a burden.

"I'm sorry, it's just I miss my family and I hate what had happened to me. I will probably be an outcast to everyone...a thief trying to feed her family", with this I start to cry again. I am both annoyed and relieved that I let my barriers down.

Peeta settles down next to me on the bed and wraps his arms around me. I instinctively throw my arms around him and burry my face in his neck, inhaling the soothing sent of cinnamon and rain. He whispers reassuring words and I eventually start believing them too. But one little annoying voice at the back of my mind tells me to stop caving in and be hard headed, and sometimes I wish I could do that. But he always manages to turn my frowns upside down.

"Can Prim visit me again?" I say, in a small voice. I back away a little so he can see my face. He smiles a little and nods his head.

"Of course she can, she can visit anytime she likes! My house is welcome to your family anytime", he tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear and puts a quick kiss on my head. And that strange warm feeling spreads through my body again._ Just friends_, I think to myself.

We stare into each other's eyes for awhile, not wanting to break away. His bright blue eyes always full of light and hope, and I am surprised someone has not tied the not with him. My heart suddenly sinks at the thought of him being married. At the same time my head is yelling at me to stop with these feelings.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" He asks as he breaks away from me. I sink in further to the bed to the point where I am lying down. I shake my head and throw the covers over my head.

"I need to sleep" I say flatly, "I'm tired"

I feel him get off the bed and sigh. I wait until he walks away and closes the door behind him, when I let all the questions and thoughts flood into my head.

Love.

Care.

Kindness.

Three things I never thought I would do to anyone else. All my affection was always and only for Prim and mother. Gale, I would only show care and kindness because he is like my brother. Maybe if it ever came to it, I would marry him. But that idea seems to irk me or get this weird annoying feeling in me. Fire and fire seems like a bad thing to combine. The inferno would only raise higher. Peeta however he is different.

The two weeks so far halve felt like 2 years in a good way. Visits have come and gone, tears and hugs are exchanged between my family, and somehow this has made an ache in my heart for home. This making me weak and feel like my walls crumbling down, but somehow Peeta fixes that.

He has been friendly and caring. He is a patient man with simple but magic words. His silver tongue could make a girl fall for him hard and fast. When I was or am upset he used to tell me stories of his childhood and dreams, making me smile and laugh, which is something I do not do frequently. He brings me a different kind of happiness, so different from the happiness Prim gives me.

But the small voice at the back of my head reminded me that I had a family to feed. The reaping to worry about, making sure I have food on the table. It makes me torn on what to feel. I always told myself I have never had time for love. I wonder what my father would think.

I sit up again, adjusting my pillow before I lean back comfortably. I look out the window, just in time to see the sun dip bellow the horizon. Glorious colours of orange, reds and salmon pink mixing in the sky, it streams through the windows, making the room orange and it suddenly creates a relaxing atmosphere.

My eyes suddenly catch something out the window. I see Peeta looking out to the sun, his sketchpad is in his hand. His eyes focused on the sun and on the paper, drawing the sun maybe in perfect detail. This warm feeling floods in my chest and then I suddenly realise to let myself calm down.

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**Sorry it's so short but I have not had time to write, Promise guys I will do a longer One for chapter 3**


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